Always surround yourself with apex predators

Unlike my brother David, I don't have any discernible talents. When I was much younger, I used to draw just like my brother David. But my dabbling in the arts slowly gave way to building things. For a while, I used to tinker with electronics and electricity (I got a lot of electric shocks as a kid). Then when we came to the US, my interest evolved into an interest in computers. When I graduated, my interest in computers gave way to entrepreneurship.

My interest in entrepreneurship is starting to look like where I am meant to be in life. It has been eight years since I caught the entrepreneurial bug and I am enjoying every step of the journey. The funny thing is, it is nothing but a series of mistakes which in turn teaches you something. One of the biggest pointers I've picked up along the way is to surround myself with apex predators.

What do I mean by "apex predators"? I mean people who are just absolute badasses at what they do. Be it storytelling, art, videography, graphic design or illustration. Remember I mentioned earlier that I have no discernable talents. So I am not an apex predator. I do however know some apex predators. My brother David is an apex predator. He doesn't want to admit it, but I know for a fact that he's a very talented artist.
Apex predators are those people that are just so damn good at what they do, that their works speak for themselves.

When running a business, especially one like Boomslank, it is really important to cultivate the habit of having things done by an apex predator. For example, if you need a website for your brand, have it done by an apex predator in the field of web design. Don't do the website yourself if you're not an apex predator in web design. People tend to notice when subpar work has occurred. If you can see it, they can too, they're not blind or stupid. In the future, we plan to roll out more product promotional videos on our Youtube to tell our story better. It would be quite short-sighted of me to make the videos myself while lacking the skills. So we're going to be hiring an apex predator. He isn't cheap, but it will cost a lot more to go the cheaper route. With the cheaper route, the resutling poor work will completely underwhelm people, and it will ultimately taint the perception you're trying to create.

Another reason to work with only apex predators is the competitive advantage you gain in your industry or genre. The unique experience you create with handiwork rendered only by apex predators is the greatest way to get the word out about what your endeavor is all about.

So how do you know you're working with an apex predator? Well is hard to quantify sometimes. But you just know. You sometimes can feel it. It is at times a very subjective assessment. However, the one thing you can see with every apex predator is a rare combination of passion and discipline we mere mortals lack. They eat and breathe their trade. And they can be seen doing their work for free just for the simple fact that doing what they love is its own reward. 

So find yourself an apex predator for whatever you need to get done. If you can't find one, then go hone your latent skills and become one.